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Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Hot-and-Sour Fruit Salad

By Rachel Gurjar
A variety of seasonal fruit on a platter.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca

For me, summers are synonymous with fresh fruit, and I grew up eating many versions of fruit salad tossed in a mix of chiles and tamarind-laced sauces. This recipe is an ode to these and other spicy fruit salads found across Asia, particularly Cambodia and Thailand. It’s made with whatever seasonal fruits you can find—just be sure to stick to 7 cups total—along with lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, dried shrimp, and lots of red chiles. Fresh chiles have a punch-you-in-the-face pungency, which works well with acidic, salty, and sweet flavors.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    15 minutes

  • Yield

    4-6 servings

Ingredients

8 red chiles (such as Fresno), ground with a mortar and pestle
¼ cup (packed; 50 g) light or dark brown sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. dried shrimp, ground with a mortar and pestle
2 Tbsp. toasted rice powder
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
¼ small pineapple, cored, cut into 1" pieces
½ ripe medium mango, peeled, cut into 1" pieces
2 large kiwis, peeled, halved, sliced crosswise into half-moons
1 star fruit, thinly sliced
4 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
2 oz. red currants, torn into bunches
2 cups 1" cubes watermelon

Special Equipment

A mortar and pestle

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix 8 red chiles (such as Fresno), ground with a mortar and pestle, ¼ cup (packed; 50 g) light or dark brown sugar, ¼ cup fish sauce, 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 2 Tbsp. dried shrimp, ground with a mortar and pestle, 2 Tbsp. toasted rice powder, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl to combine.

    Step 2

    Gently toss ¼ small pineapple, cored, cut into 1" pieces, ½ ripe medium mango, peeled, cut into 1" pieces, 2 large kiwis, peeled, halved, sliced crosswise into half-moons, 1 star fruit, thinly sliced, 4 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled, halved, 2 oz. red currants, torn into bunches, 2 cups 1" cubes watermelon, and 2 Tbsp. dressing in a medium bowl to coat (this will be very spicy, so reduce to 1 Tbsp. if you prefer less heat). Transfer fruit salad to a platter and drizzle more dressing over if desired.

TagsFruit DessertDessertSnackSaladDairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeEasyQuick30 Minutes or LessFresno ChileChileVegetablePineappleFruitMangoStone FruitKiwiStrawberryBerryWatermelonMelonPassion FruitSummerBon Appétit

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